New Video: Guitarist Raul Midón Takes On “Giant Steps”

John Coltrane’s Giant Steps shook up the world of jazz with its release in 1960, and quickly established itself as a classic album – a set of tunes by which future musicians would gauge themselves for years to come. “Giant Steps” – the title track of the album – is a megalith in its own right. It helped establish Coltrane as a master of changes, and forever altered the face of bebop. Decades later, the track has seen countless renditions, covers, and face-lifts as players add their own layer to its legacy. Cue Raul Midón, a highly-acclaimed guitarist and vocalist who has been a staple of the jazz scene since his first album in 1999. Midón has worked with musical heroes such as Herbie Hancock, Bill Withers, and Stevie Wonder, and has appeared on recordings by Jason Mraz, Queen Latifah, and Snoop Dogg, to name a few. He is celebrated for his ability to – as the New York Times puts it – “turn a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus,” all with a delectably silky style that draws on the rhythms and sounds of musics like jazz and flamenco. Earlier this week, Midón released a video of his own rendition of “Giant Steps,” which features his trademark syncopated guitar and delicate vocal-trumpet, as well as a heavy dose of his signature cool. Listen in as Coltrane takes a walk down the fretboard with Raul Midón’s fingers – the result is something wholly new and audibly delightful.